The Three World Cup Memes Keeping Everyone In Stitches
All eyes will be on Bafana Bafana on Thursday as the boys will be taking on the Czech Republic for their crunch encounter at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And while the opening two-nil loss to co-hosts Mexico rocked Mzansi on social media, many fans, true to always finding the funny side to serious matters, are still in stitches over the meme material that the opening fixture produced.
From Themba Zwane’s iconic expression of bewilderment upon being shown the red card for this reckless challenge in the match, to Grammy winner Tyla emulating the classic Volturi men looking down the balcony, here is a list of the memes the World Cup has graced the fans with so far.
1. Themba Zwane’s Utter Confusion
Themba Zwane’s meme | SUPPLIED
Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Themba Zwane’s facial expressions of stark confusion had the world tweeting and reposting and liking and sharing the moment. After being pointed back to the benches during the 83rd minute by the referee for slapping Mexican Roberto Alvarado, Zwane srunched his face, wrinkled his eyebrows and puckered his lips, frozen for a moment before he began looking around.
The moment has since become one of the World Cup’s most talked about memes, with netizens sharing the meme and customising it with captions that fit the bill.
2. Mudau’s Puzzled Expression
Khuliso Mudau’s facial expression | SUPPLIED
Khuliso Mudau also produced more meme-able magic with his facial expression when Brazilian match official Wilton Sampaio was substantiating his decision before showing Zwane the red card.
Mudau’s face, gradually panning closer from the side, had all the makings of someone lost, as Sampaio spoke in Portuguese, a language he didn’t understand.
Not only has the meme taken off as a still and a GIF variant, an AI-generated remake of the meme shows Mudau smacking the referee across the face, with South Africans rewriting the script of the moment to fit the narrative of broken humour.
Check out the AI-modified version of the meme:
3. Tyla Looking Down
“Water” megastar Tyla razzle-dazzled during the World Cup opening ceremony with her facile performance of the South African national anthem and her chic wardrobe selection for the showing. In addition to making waves alongside American trap superstar Future, Seethal has been in the limelight largely for the music and her excellence and nothing else. The Edenvale-born superstar made waves when a meme drop started circulating of the 24-year-old looking down from the stands when Bafana was getting cooked, by then they were already two goals down.
Tyla looking down from the stands | SUPPLIED
Tyla’s half-lidded eyes and unimpressed half-smile captured an air akin to something along the lines of disappointment, like a mother watching her child fumble and trying her best to keep face. The meme conjured up a scene in Twilight: New Moon, depicting a triad of the Volturi judgementally looking down from the balcony, a meme that has since become one of the world’s most recognisable pictures.
With Thursday being a high-stakes square-off, the match promises fireworks and the possibility of more meme-able moments. Mzansi netizens, after all, always look for a funny side in everything, even when there doesn’t seem to be one.